Been on the road a lot lately working. A few days ago I was in Brentwood, TN and decided to hit Famous Daves for lunch. Ordered a sandwich of smokes beef rib meat, soaked in a Dr. Pepper que sauce. Not a bad sandwich. A little chewy but the meat had a nice smokey flavor and the Dr. Pepper sauce was pretty good.
After lunch I headed to Knoxville and noticed a Sonny's near the hotel, so I made dinner plans. Got a combo plate of pulled pork and chicken. It was far better than lunch and I was very surprised at how good it was.
Most often, meals at the chain que joints are a major let down. On this particular day, I had one decent meal and one very good one. I will hit this Sonny's location again._________________Scooter
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Char-Broil American Gourmet
Brinkman Bullet

I kind of give restaurants a break since I know they have to project how much meat to have ready at any given time. They never know when a huge rib order will come or if a traffic jam happens and no one shows.

I don't know how they keep that much meant tasting like it just came off the grill at 190° but I do know from time to time they miss the mark. I usually order something that I know is cooked fresh (fish, burger, steak etc...) when I'm out and save the Q for home...

We have a Famous Dave's here & we've been to a couple other locations, including the original near Hayward, WI. We luv their food, but the ribs are inconsistent. Good & moist one time & dry another. However, the managers & workers are FANTASTIC..always wanting to pleez ya!!! BTW...the Hayward location serves a GREAT Sunday Brunch!!!
We also have a place called Mike's Smokehouse. They serve the "Texas style" bbq. The meat, especially the ribs are overdone & the sauce is more like mop...WAY to thin & vinegary...YUK!!!
There's also a new place that just stated up...don't recall the name, but have heard good things about it. They have a custom smoker/cooker, along with a small log cabin a trailer & outdoor seating...not sure what they're gonna do during the cold WI winter months!

I go to the original Sonny's on Waldo Road in Gainesville once or twice a month with friends. The last time, when the waitress asked what I wanted I replied, "Good BBQ, but since I'm here I'll have the hamburger."

The sliced beef and brisket is dry and disappointing, the ribs are grilled and have no smoke flavor or ring, the pulled pork looks more like chopped and is pretty fatty, and on and on. I can remember when they had the best baby backs in town, I don't order them anymore. I think they're going on prior reputation and their sauces now. People sure seem to like their sweet sauce even though, to me at least, it tastes like it has liquid smoke as an ingredient.

The burger is fair, the sliced pork is better, and the "pulled" brisket is better yet, but still nothing to write home about. The half chicken is pretty good and the best thing on the menu is the High Springs chicken. Hey, anything with bacon has got to bej good, right?

It's a damn shame because they were so much better just three short years ago.

As far as sides go, I like the beans and corn fritters._________________When the girl behind the counter said they
could smoke a turkey I just had to ask,
"Where can you buy papers that big?"

Famous Dave's corporation is from here in Minnesota.
There is one about every 1 miles around here.

To me Famous Dave's and the like have nothing to do with BBQ.
Its engineered food, created to meet marketing demands and to appeal to
a broad demographics. Its meant not to offend anyone and appeal to everyone.

Had worse but also had a hec of a lot better.
I like my food cooked by a person not delivered in truck from the cooperate warehouse._________________-------
Every Day, Thousands Of Innocent Plants Are Killed By Vegetarians.
Help End The Violence.
EAT BACON

It's a well known FACT that we can make MUCH better 'que, 'specially ribs in our smokers/cookers than most BBQ joints. However, there are a few backroad, Mom & Pop type bbq joints that are worth going to!!! _________________WEBER Kettle
WEBER Q gas
Charbroil gas Vertical
Off-set barrel charcoal/wood smoker
Cameron Stove Top

The original Famous Dave's in Hayward WI is still decent, I have never had a disappointing meal at that location. (Tall Pines Resort)
But the other locations have typically been disappointing and inconsistent.

Sonny's;
When they have their B-B AYCE special, and if I am in FL, my brother and I will stop and put a serious hurting on their food-cost ratio. I have not had anything else at a sonny's besides their BB's .
I have heard that sonny's has gone to centrally located commissaries and deliver food to be finished on location to help with their consistency. Can anyone confirm?_________________Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

Wow, I had no clue that Famous Daves started in WI. Da nort woods to boot...

Anyone like Rib City? I've eaten at one in Florida a long time ago. My grandma brings a bottle of sauce back to Wisco when she comes back for the summer. I always like the sauce. Can't remember the que though._________________In the shadows of Lambeau

I have heard that sonny's has gone to centrally located commissaries and deliver food to be finished on location to help with their consistency. Can anyone confirm?

I understand that that is correct (I used to be involved in a non-BBQ capacity with a company that did business with the Sonny's franchisees).

As with all BBQ, it is very difficult to maintain consistent results, but Sonny's has done a fine job with that. It's consistently mediocre, but it's consistent._________________I likes to eat 'da pig!
Acts 11:5-9

As with all BBQ, it is very difficult to maintain consistent results, but Sonny's has done a fine job with that. It's consistently mediocre, but it's consistent.

And that is the reason I still patronize sonny's locations if in the area, I know exactly what I am going to get, and with very few surprises. Of all the things that are important in serving food to the public, I feel consistency is at the very top of the list.
I hate needing to ask "Who is Cooking today?" when going out to eat so I can properly decide what to order, one cook may do a great job on a few items, but suck horribly at others, then cook #2 may make the other items great but they are unable to duplicate each others product.

Or lets say you go to a place one time, find a great item, so you bring back a group while bragging how good it was, but there is a different cook working when you get back there, and everyone orders the item you have been talking up, and it sucks and you feel like a huge doofus for talking it up.
When evaluating a new hire, I pay very close attention to what they are doing, and if the suggest "Changing things up" to personalize it. They typically do not last long if I see a chance of that happening.

Now back when I was "The New Guy" at a restaurant, I would only suggest ways to streamline the process, or lessen waste, but still have an identical finished product that the original designer had intended_________________Just remember that the toes you may step on during your climb to the top will also be attached to the a$$es you'll be forced to kiss on your way back down!

the Famous Dave's here in Louisville is pretty good. Not bad for a chain and its very consistant on service and taste. I guess we are lucky here after hearing about everyones bad luck with inconsistant experiences with other locations. My brisket tastes better than their's, but damn if they always have me on tenderness. The waiter told me they cook their brisket high and fast. It doesn't have much of a smoke ring but it sure is tender._________________Brinkman Smoke N Pitt
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